The invention relates generally to telecommunication systems. More specifically, the invention relates to a system and method for providing telecommunications over a packet-based network.
Since the advent of the telephone, telecommunications companies have used circuit switching technology to route voice communications over a communication path between a caller and a receiver (i.e., endpoints) using a fixed, dedicated bandwidth. In general, circuit switching technology is the equipment that provides the communication path between the endpoints. Advances in circuit switching technology have enabled various call control features, such as, call hold, and three-way calling. Circuit-switching technology has further improved through the introduction of cord board switching, analog switches, and digital switches.
In parallel with the technological developments of circuit switching, the field of data communications has experienced dramatic progress with the rise of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Data transmission across the Internet is based on Internet Protocol (IP), which transmits information in packets. Packets follow various routes through the Internet to reach their destinations. Packet switches or routers determine the path taken by each packet.
Because of the cost advantage of packet communications, an industry has arisen to devise gateway technology for translating circuit-based voice data into packet-based voice data so that voice data can travel over a packet-based network. The packet-based voice data is converted back into circuit-based voice data and routed to a circuit switch.
However, converting voice data between the circuit domain and packet domain using gateways has various drawbacks. For example, the conversion of information between the circuit and packet domains reduces transmitted information to the lowest common denominator because of restrictions characteristic of the circuit domain. In particular, using packet technology, information can be transmitted for audio communications, data communications, and video communications. Packet audio can be stereo, high fidelity, low bit-rate, or other options. In the circuit domain, voice is restricted to the 300 Hz to 3,000 Hz frequency range. Data and video can be transmitted using Nx64 circuits. However, specialized, expensive hardware is required to switch and provide features. A second drawback is that a delay occurs when compressing circuit voice data into packet voice data. Another drawback is the cost of a gateway to perform conversions.
There remains, therefore, a need for the ability to conduct telecommunications exclusively in the packet domain to avoid the drawbacks of converting between the circuit and packet domains, without losing the call processing functions presently available in the circuit switching technology.
The invention features a method for conducting multimedia telephonic conferences over a packet-based network. A packet representing a request from a caller system to conduct a multimedia telephonic conference with an agent system is received over the packet-based network. Packets are exchanged with the caller system to establish a call with the caller system. An application program interface is provided to a telephony application program through which the telephony application program can control multimedia telephonic conferences between the caller and agent systems. A command is received from the telephony application program through the application program interface to process the call according to the command.
In one embodiment, packets are exchanged with the agent system to establish a second call with the agent system. The call established with the caller system is linked to the call established with the agent system to establish a multimedia telephonic conference between the caller and the agent systems. Various operations can be performed on this multimedia conference. Such operations include placing the caller system on-hold, retrieving the caller system from hold, transferring the conference to another agent system, adding another agent system to the conference, silently monitoring the conference, and barging in on the conference.
In another aspect, the invention features a multimedia telephonic communication system in a packet-based network having a caller system transmitting a request to conduct a multimedia telephonic conference with an agent system. The multimedia telephonic communication system includes a server system in communication with the caller system over the packet-based network for receiving the request. The server system has software installed thereon and a processor executing the software. The software includes an application program interface, through which a telephony application program can control multimedia telephonic conferences, and a switch that receives a command from the telephony application program through the application program interface to control a multimedia telephonic conference between the caller and agent systems according to the command.
In one embodiment, the software includes the telephony application program and that telephony application is an automatic call distributor (ACD), which routes calls received by the switch from the caller system to an available agent system. In another embodiment, the software includes a computer technology integration (CTI) subsystem which communicates with a CTI server.
In another aspect, the invention features a call center for handling multimedia telephonic calls from callers over a packet-based network. The call center includes an agent system and a server system in communication with a caller system to receive a request over the packet-based network to conduct a telephonic conference with the agent system. The server system has software installed thereon and a processor executing the software. The software includes a telephony application program, a switch, and an application program interface through which the telephony application program communicates with the switch to establish a telephonic conference between the caller and the agent systems in response to the request.